Oppiwalle is another great Vaal River fishing spot very near to Parys. We heard some great things about it and finally got our chance recently. Here’s a quick summary of our experience.
Fishing
We haven’t been catching millions of fish lately. At Flamingo’s River Lodge and Heathbridge we did well but the changing of the seasons definitely made it more difficult than normal. At Oppiwalle we did slightly better.
We were welcomed by Danie who made us feel very welcome and took his time giving us valuable fishing tips, what to use and where to cast. Heeding his advice we quickly got the our rods in the water and started getting bites straight away. But as before there were constant action but very few runs.
We started thinking it must be mudfish with their weird-shaped mouths that are responsible for most of the bites and are more difficult to catch. Some of them however were more greedy than others and got themselves caught 🙂
We managed to catch many mudfish in the end, they are actually feisty little fighters and a lot of fun. But we were there to catch a massive Vaal River carp or two. Something that unfortunately never happened. Maybe the mudfish were too quick or maybe we were using the wrong bait. Either way no carp this time round.
Martin did however manage to snare one decent smallmouth yellowfish that took off downriver like a rocket.
Oppiwalle is actually a perfect location for barbel . With the island, and rocky parts on either side you can just imagine it’s the perfect habitat for them. Using chicken livers again we caught quite a few barbel, mostly smallish but every now and then a nice sized one would show up. In season this place should be teeming with them.
Accommodation
Oppiwalle is another great destination for a fishing couple. The rates are very reasonable and the facilities outstanding. It’s inside an estate of sorts called Jumanji and therefore quite safe.
The house (Pondok) has everything you might need. The single bedroom is cozy and has a river view. If you are a larger group there is a separate unit called the Kardoesie which basically consists of more beds and a cupboard. It has it’s own outside ablution facility but no kitchen etc. It’s meant to be extra sleeping quarters.
The fishing area is great. Again terraced walls with steps going down to the water and a lawn as the last platform. A lot of effort has been put in and it makes for really convenient fishing. There’s also a canoe available for use.
There is an island to the right which restricts casting but the water in front of it is extremely deep apparently so it’s actually a bonus. Another bonus is the fact that the island blocks the worst of the river flow so you can be assured of mostly straight lines even if the river is flooding. In terms of snags you will get stuck if you cast really far left or right but 80% of the area is fairly snag-free. Just ask Danie and he’ll be happy to explain.
Summary
Another great Parys Vaal River fishing venue. We really appreciated the closeness and convenience of the terrace. The fishing was better than expected especially as it was early winter. Danie was very helpful and his homemade preservative-free boerewors was a hit.
There’s a rock right in front of the fishing area to the left of the island, cast anywhere to the left of that but not too far. And also in front of the island but closer to the lefthand edge thereof. Garlic, TCP and especially bunspice worked well. Chicken livers for barbel.
(2 days)
barbel x6 (small\medium)
yellowfish x1 (medium)
mudfish x6 (medium)
082 927 7741 (Danie)
Erkhamka – Vaal River
Flamingo’s River Lodge – Vaal River
Goosebay Canyon – Vaal River
La Retraite – Vaal River
Nandini – Vaal River
The Dell – Vaal River
The Riverhouse – Vaal River
Vaal de Sioleh – Vaal River
Can you send me a price list please
Hi Hendrik,
Sorry for the late reply, we were away fishing again 🙂
Oppiwalle is run by the very helpful Danie and you can reach him at 082 927 7741. The prices are really fair and I think he even has specials running during the week.
Let me know if you need any further info.
Regards
Linky
Can I request a price list please
Hi Rika,
You can contact Danie at 082 927 7741. He’ll give you all the detail you need 🙂
Cheers
Anglinks
Good day
Can you please send me the rates for 6 people. From 23-29 December 2019
Thanking you in advance
Hi Corne,
Sorry, we don’t actually do the bookings at Oppiwalle but you can call Danie at 082 927 7741. Let us know if you need any more info\advice.
Happy fishing!!
Cheers
Anglinks
Good Day
Thanks for all the info. What would you suggest to us. We are 3 couples that loves fishing and would like to be close to water and stay in a nice selfcatering unit(s) with apool on site
Hi Karen,
I can think of quite a few places that would cater for you but it all depends on your budget and location.
I’m assuming you are looking at Vaal River spots, here’s a few we would recommend.
Vaal river:
Erkhamka – big house, lots of rooms, fishing area maybe slightly small for 3 fishing couples
Vaal de Sioleh – nice free-standing chalets, and there is a pool as far as I remember
River View lodge – nice free-standing chalets, good fishing, not sure about pool
Samaki – near to River View lodge, same kind of setup
And for the Vaal Dam the following.
Vaal Dam:
Fisherman’s Hangout – nice free-standing chalets, don’t think there is a pool
Inloop – largish house with 3 rooms, splash pool
Both the Vaal Dam spots is quite a long drive on a dirt road though.
Hope that helps!
Regards
Linky
Good day*
Are day visitors welcome*
Kind Regards
Yolandi
Hi Yoland1,
Unfortunately, we don’t own Oppiwalle, we just visited it. But I can tell you that day visitors are definitely not allowed.
But you can call Danie to confirm at 082 927 7741.
Regards
Linky